{"id":776,"date":"2012-07-17T20:00:09","date_gmt":"2012-07-17T20:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=776"},"modified":"2015-10-13T16:36:33","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T16:36:33","slug":"reel-big-fish-house-of-blues-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/07\/17\/reel-big-fish-house-of-blues-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Reel Big Fish – House of Blues – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Robert Johnson <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"In the late 1990\u2019s ska was all the rage.\u00a0 It was huge.\u00a0 Characterized by bouncing, upbeat Jamaican-style guitar, a walking bass line, and horns, ska rose to popularity (the \u201cThird Wave\u201d) around the same time as the punk rock revival.\u00a0 As a result, the ska sound evolved from its R&B roots to something more closely resembling punk-rock.\u00a0 Bands like Reel Big Fish, Dance Hall Crashers, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Suicide Machines, and No Doubt received a great deal of mainstream media attention, with many bands selling out arenas across America.<\/p>\n

In 2012, the mainstream machine isn\u2019t behind the ska scene the way it once was.\u00a0 However, many of the bands remain strong with thriving fan bases.\u00a0 Reel Big Fish is a perfect example of one of the original third-wave ska bands still finding success today.<\/p>\n

In support of their latest effort, Candy Coated Fury, Aaron Barrett (vocals & guitar) and company tore through Houston for a night of old school ska-punk, fun, theatrics, humor, and memories.\u00a0 Despite breaking into the business twenty years ago, Reel Big Fish still played with a youthful enthusiasm, and every member relished the opportunity to share an evening with their fans.<\/p>\n

The band took the stage at 9:40PM to \u201cThe Kids Don\u2019t Like It\u201d and immediately stirred the crowd into a frenzy.\u00a0 Less than a minute in, the fans were feeling it.\u00a0 Moshing, crowd surfing, and skanking (more on this later), the music of Reel Big Fish swelled a fervor throughout the crowd that gradually built throughout the evening.<\/p>\n

By the fourth song, \u201cI Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend,\u201d the band had found its groove.\u00a0 On this song, everything clicked.\u00a0 Singer \/ Guitarist Aaron Barrett was oozing with stage presence and delivered a brilliant vocal and instrumental execution of a standout song from the critically acclaimed 1998 album, Why Do They Rock So Hard?<\/p>\n

With the crowd already in a state of constant motion, \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Skankin\u2019\u201d took it to an entirely different level.\u00a0 Before the song got underway, Barrett took to the mic and asked the crowd to \u201cskank\u201d throughout the song.\u00a0 Recognizing that some younger fans might not know what he was talking about, he simply said \u201clook to your right and look to your left and you\u2019ll learn.\u201d\u00a0 The audience absolutely loved it.\u00a0 Save for a few stragglers who were \u201ctoo cool,\u201d everyone in attendance was shuffling their respective feet and arms to the beat of the song.\u00a0 Moments like this are what separates a decent live event from an excellent one.\u00a0 Many bands around as long as Reel Big Fish will simply go through the motions, with little-to-no concern for crowd interaction.\u00a0 Not this band.\u00a0 Not on this day.\u00a0 For this night, everyone in attendance was family.<\/p>\n

The moments of the night for me came with the two of the last songs, \u201cBeer\u201d and \u201cTake On Me,\u201d closing the main set and encore respectively.\u00a0 \u201cBeer\u201d is a fantastically catchy song that resonates perfectly with a live crowd, providing a gratifying payoff for both the casual and hardcore fans.\u00a0 Likewise, \u201cTake On Me,\u201d an A-ha cover, does the same for the casuals and hardcores, but also elicits excitement from those who didn\u2019t even come to see the band.\u00a0 Whether they ended up at the show with a boyfriend\/girlfriend, mom\/dad, sister\/brother, friend, or simply felt like catching a night of good live music, they likely left wanting more.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s probably no better word to describe a Reel Big Fish show than simply \u201cfun.\u201d\u00a0 The band will casually break out in cover songs, then suddenly stop.\u00a0 Members will pull out whoopee cushions and prank on other members.\u00a0 They\u2019ll banter on stage like a group of best friends out for a night of beers, allowing everyone in attendance to take a peek behind the curtain.\u00a0 They came to play music, entertain, and have fun.\u00a0 I, for one, loved every moment of it.
\nSetlist:<\/p>\n

The Kids Don\u2019t Like It \/ In the Pit
\nAnother F.U. Song
\nEverything Sucks
\nI Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Snoop Dog, Baby Good Thing Don\u2019t Stop Skankin\u2019
\nEnter Sandman (Metallica Cover)
\nThe Set Up (You Need This)
\nThe Fire
\nBrown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison Cover)
\nBan the Tube Top
\nPunisher
\nTrendy
\nYour Guts (I Hate \u2018Em)
\nWhere Have You Been
\nS.R.
\nBeer<\/p>\n

Encore:<\/p>\n

Sell Out
\nShe Has a Girlfriend Now
\nTake On Me (A-ha Cover)<\/p>\n

Contact Robert at <\/u>robert@starsandsatellites.com<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Robert Johnson Jul 17, 2012 at 10:00 PM In the late 1990\u2019s ska was all the rage.\u00a0 It was huge.\u00a0 Characterized by bouncing, upbeat Jamaican-style guitar, a walking bass line, and horns, ska rose to popularity (the \u201cThird Wave\u201d) around the same time as the punk rock revival.\u00a0 As a result, the ska… <\/p>\n

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